The Manitoba government is spending $770,000 to combat the provincewide problem of bedbugs.
The first year of the plan will provide qualifying organizations with specialized materials to help combat bedbugs, such as mattress and box-spring encasements, specialized laundry bags and insect monitors.
“Bedbugs can cause a great deal of stress and financial hardship for those affected,” said Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau. “They are not exclusive to any one area or group of people. Everyone in our communities will have a role to play in finding affordable solutions.”
The province is also rolling out a grant program to assist not-for-profit community organizations in their education, management and prevention efforts.
Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz weighed in on the issue, saying the city will work alongside the province to curb the problem.
Brochures, posters, fact sheets and a bedbug website will make up a marketing campaign to launch in the coming weeks.
A tracked bedbug phone line is also being set up to offer information to Manitobans and pinpoint areas of infestation in the province.
